Portable towers typically employ a telescoping mask which extends upwardly from a portable base to support a bank of lights overhead to temporarily illuminate an area in low lighting conditions. Typically the area to be illuminated lacks electrical power wherein the portable light towers have their own source of power such as batteries or an engine/generator system. The area to be illuminated is in need of lighting wherein the self-powered portable light tower provides sufficient illumination to sites such as building construction, highway construction, carnivals, outdoor sporting and recreational activities, and the like. Portable light towers are well known in the art and typically include wheels for ease in transporting.
Various types of mast extensions are also known in the art. Typically the mast is a telescoping pole that is limited in height extension by the length of individual mast sections which must fit within adjoining mast sections leading to more costly designs due to the need for individual parts that are not exchangeable. Prior art disclosures include portable lighting systems exemplified in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,439,467; 3,495,364; 4,181,929; 5,806,963; 6,517,225; 6,805,462; 7,621,650; 8,303,143; and 8,439,534.
Present light towers lack compact storage features which can affect shipping as well as storage. Light towers can be trailer mounted and towed to a deployment site or placed in position by a fork lift. The need to transport multiple light towers is typically by flatbed where they are offloaded at the jobsite. For instance, if a carnival requires ten light towers then it necessary to transport light towers by the use of ten vehicles, or place as many towers on a flatbed trailer as physically allowed. Placing multiple light towers on a single large common trailer, such as a flatbed, is limited to the length and width of the flatbed. Furthermore, placing multiple light towers mounted on a flatbed or on a single large common trailer is limited since all known prior art light towers have no provision for nesting or stacking. Existing light towers lack compact storage features which can also cause problems in storage.
What is lacking in the industry is an improved light tower having a scissors type lift making the unit compact to allow benefits in both storage and shipping.